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Gov appoints two new members to ASTCA Board — both his staff

American Samoa TeleaCommunications Building

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga has appointed two new members to the American Samoa TeleCommunications Authority Board of Directors.

The new chairman and the Board are currently set to meet next week.

The governor on Dec. 26th informed then board chair, Sen. Faiivae Iuli Godinet and board member Andra Samoa, of their removal. (See yesterday’s Samoa News edition for details.)

In a Jan. 2, 2019 general memorandum, the governor appointed Iulogologo Joseph Pereira and Alema Leota as the replacements for Faiivae and Samoa, with Iulogologo appointed as the new chairman.

The governor’s memo didn’t provide background on the two new board members, including where they are employed. But it's public knowledge that Iulogologo is the governor’s executive assistant while Leota is the governor’s assistant legal counsel.

“ASTCA is currently experiencing a period of growth and opportunity. It is the duty of the Board to help strategically navigate ASTCA during this exciting time,” wrote the governor in his memo which was copied to the ASTCA board and also sent to cabinet members.

According to the governor, both Iulogologo and Leota “possess skills and experience that will aid ASTCA at this critical stage”.

ASTCA board members are not subject to Fono confirmation because the semi autonomous agency currently operates under an executive order from the late 1990s, which changed it from the former Office of Communications.

The other ASTCA board members are Lagi Asuega, Omar Shallhout and Alofagia Nomura.

Samoa News understands that the board will be meeting next week to discuss various pertinent issues, including paying off the $17 million that the ASG Employees' Retirement Fund invested in the Hawaiki cable system.

Money to pay off this investment, which was made to ASTCA, is to come from proceeds received for the 2018 bond series — issued by the American Samoa Economic Development Authority — and sold around the week of Dec. 17th.

Two ASG officials confirmed to Samoa News over the weekend that revenues earned from the bond sale also provided money to make ASTCA’s $4.25 million payment to the Retirement Fund that was due on Dec. 8th. The ASG officials say the payment was made on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24th.

An important and pressing issue that the Board and ASTCA management will be focusing on is achieving the governor’s goal of boosting telecommunications — through Hawaiki — to create a third pillar for the local economy, say ASG officials, who noted that the governor will share this vision with the Fono in his State of the Territory Address set to be delivered January 14th, during the official opening of the 36th Legislature.